Profile Essay Instructions and Guidelines
Profiles are written portraits – of people, places, events, or other things. We find profiles of
celebrities, travel destinations, and offbeat festivals in magazines and newspapers, or radio and
TV. A profile presents a subject in an entertaining way that conveys its significance, showing us
something or someone that we may not have known existed or that we see every day but don’t
know much about.
Assignment:
Write an essay about an intriguing person, group of people, place, or activity in your community.
Observe your subject closely, and then present what you have learned in a way that both informs
and engages readers.
Note – You are not permitted to profile celebrities, including but not limited to:
• musicians
• actors
• professional athletes
• corporate CEO’s
• politicians
If you profile a person, it must be a person whom you know personally.
If you profile a place, it must be a place that you have visited.
If you profile an event, it must be an event that you have attended.
General Guidelines:
The subject may be something unusual, or it may be something ordinary shown in an intriguing
way. Whether you are writing about a person, place, or event, you need to spend time observing
and interacting with your subject. With a person, interacting means watching and conversing.
With a place or event, interacting may mean visiting and participating, although sometimes you
may gather even more information by playing the role of silent observer. You need to include
details that bring your subject to life. These include sensory images, figurative language,
dialogue, and anecdotes. Choose details that show rather than tell, that let your audience see and
hear your subject rather than merely read an abstract description of it.
Requirements:
The essay’s assigned length is 1000-1200 words. Be sure that all margins measure one inch and
that you use the Times New Roman 12-point font. Also, follow MLA formatting guidelines
regarding the page heading, running header, page numbering, etc.
Proposal for Profile Essay
1. Write a 250 word proposal for your profile essay. Basically, I am asking you to give me a
brief summary of what you intend to say in your profile essay. You do not have to organize
the essay at this time, as you will be writing an outline later this week. Your goal for this
assignment is to pick an essay topic and to start thinking about what you want to do with that
topic.
